We’ve certainly seen movies before that center around a group of people breaking into a home, only to have the tables turned on them, but that sort of concept still has room to be played with. The new thriller DON’T BREATHE actually sounds a lot like a real life recent incident in which a couple broke into a man’s home and were brutally killed by that man, so much so that the home owner ended up going to jail over the brutality involved. But the movie is unique in the sense that the home owner here is blind, and perhaps there’s more to him than what’s on the surface.
Rocky (Jane Levy), Alex (Dylan Minnette) and Money (Daniel Zovatto) are a mismatched trio of thieves. Rocky and Money are sort of an item, Alex likes Rocky more than she likes him, and the reason they’re so successful in the crime capers is because Alex’s father works for the local security company and Alex can get keys and codes to give his group an edge. Their efforts are not going so well though, as Money isn’t getting what he hopes to off his buyers, and Rocky and her daughter are not doing great with their white trash home life. Adding to the problems is Alex just not wanting to do this anymore. When an opportunity comes up for a big score, all three see it as a potential “last job” to get them out of this line of work. They target the home of a blind man (Stephen Lang) who lives alone in an abandoned neighborhood. The man, who is ex-military, is sitting on $300,000 in cash won from a settlement after his daughter was killed by a local rich girl in a car accident. It seems like an easy enough job, so they give it a go, but soon learn this home owner is prepared to fight back. Now what started as a robbery has turned into a terrifying fight for survival.
The movie is directed by Fede Alvarez, who helmed the recent EVIL DEAD remake, and has proven himself quite capable at handling both horror and tension on the big screen. This effort is less horror and more thriller, but it’s quite effective for its short 88-minute running time. It’s hard to talk about the film without going into spoiler territory, but for what it is the production works very well and keeps the audience on the edge of their seat rather frequently. It’s also an interesting film in that none of the characters are really folks you want to root for. Even the seemingly innocent blind man isn’t what you’d call a “good” guy, so no one here is a hero or traditional protagonist. Some might find that aspect annoying, I actually found it refreshing and challenging, as the film still works in spite of it.
Jane Levy, who was also the main star of Alvarez’s EVIL DEAD, is quite good as the confident and believable lead here. She’s never a damsel in distress, but rather plays it realistically and rationally. It’s nice to see a female role like this that feels genuine and flawed without ever falling into any typical stereotype. Dylan Minnette and Daniel Zovatto are also good in their respective roles, though both of those characters could have used a little more background to make them more fleshed out. Minnette especially could have used some solid motivation to betray his dad’s trust and enable these robberies, but he’s still effective in the frequent moments of tension as the story plays out. Of course the MVP here is Stephen Lang, who has the challenging job of playing the helpless blind man that goes through stages of being a sympathetic victim, a dangerous force to be reckoned with, and eventually an almost monster-like villain the others are trying desperately to get away from. And he excels at all of it – this is not a guy you’d want to cross, or ever meet for that matter.
DON’T BREATHE was already a film festival hit, and it’s easy to see why. This has the makings of a cult classic, or at least being on the level of popular recent horror favorites like IT FOLLOWS or YOU’RE NEXT. If you like these types of films, it’s definitely worth a look in a darkened theater, and plays really well with an audience. And before you go thinking “How dare they rob a blind man like that”, just know there’s a lot more to it than what you think. Avoid the spoilers and check it out for yourself.
Born and raised in Dallas, Mark has been a movie critic since 1994, with reviews featured in print, radio and National TV. In 2001 he started the Entertainment section of the Herorealm website, where he contributed film reviews and celebrity interviews until 2004. After three years of service there, he started Bigfanboy.com, which has become one of the Dallas film community's leading information websites. Bigfanboy hosts several movie screenings in the Texas area, and works closely with film and TV studios and promotional partners to host exciting events and contests. The site also features a variety of rare celebrity and filmmaker interviews, and Bigfanboy.com regularly covers the film festival circuit as well. In addition to Hollywood reporting, Mark has worked for many years as an advertising and sci-fi/comic book artist. Clients have included Lucasfilm Ltd., Topps Trading Cards, The Dallas Mavericks and The Dallas Stars. From 2002 until 2015 he managed the Dallas Comic Con, Sci-Fi Expo and Fan Days events in the DFW area. He currently catalogs rare comic books and movie memorabilia for Heritage Auctions, and runs the Dallas Comic Show conventions, but remains an avid moviegoer and cinema buff. 
